BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 24, 2018) — Many people have contacted THE PLANET, publicly and privately, puzzled at The Boring Broadsheet‘s odd coverage of the Berkshire County District Attorney’s race, a contest that culminates Tuesday Nov. 6. The BB has published the usual campaign drivel taken straight from press releases, sound bites, and stump speeches, but it has failed its readers by shunning the insides of this campaign, where vitriol has been made a virtue.

One of the biggest examples is how the paper has pretended one of the campaign’s biggest stories didn’t happen. We speak of Andrea Harrington’s now-infamous phone call to Melissa Mazzeo shortly after Harrington edged incumbent D.A. Paul Caccaviello by 644 votes to win the Democratic primary. That Harrington made the call is not in dispute. Both women confirmed it to THE PLANET. At issue is the content of the call. Mazzeo says Harrington threatened the councilwoman’s political future. Harrington says she called to ask for Mazzeo’s support.

Actually, the content of the call doesn’t matter. What matters are the following facts:

The call did occur

It involves an important election, one that will set the tone for local law enforcement for the next six years.

The allegation of a threat was made by a sitting councilor, former council president, and mayoral aspirant with a reputation among supporters for straight shooting.

This was and still is a newsworthy topic.

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Consider, too, that when attorney and ex-D.A. hopeful Judith Knight publicly endorsed Caccaviello, she explained her decision with reference to Harrington’s phone call. Knight, who won 5,182 votes in September, said her decision to back Cacc came after “the final straw” supplied by Harrington’s phoner. Knight obviously believed Mazzeo’s version. Incredibly, when The BB gave its account of Knight’s endorsement, it left out that key fact.

Why? Could it be that The BB secretly backs Harrington?

An e-mail exchange between a reader and BB publisher Fred Rutberg sheds some light. On Oct. 6, the reader wrote to Rutberg asking why his newspaper hadn’t picked up on the phone controversy. Rutberg wrote back the next day:

On Sun, Oct 7, 2018 at 6:11 PM Fredric Rutberg <frutberg@berkshireeagle.com> wrote:Very interesting, thanks for sharing. Frankly, I have been bewildered by Paul Caccaviello’s write-in campaign; he announced he was running and then there has been no evidence of a genuine campaign. I question Valenti’s objectivity in attempting to report the race; it appears that he firmly committed to Caccaviello so I tend to take his comments with a grain of salt.I will pass this on to our newsroom, but we are not interested boosting a non-existent campaign …Best,Fred

Ancient Chinese wisdom: “A grain of salt is worth more than two tons of horse shit.”

More damning, Rutberg calls Caccaviello’s campaign “non-existent,” saying there’s “no evidence” for it. He wrote that a full 17 days after Cacc announced his write-in effort on Sept. 19.

Let that sink in. Here we have the publisher of the lone local daily telling a reader that the incumbent’s campaign for re-election DOESN’T EXIST! and that the paper won’t cover it because that would be “boosting.”

Here are the guts of Cacc’s “campaign that doesn’t exist” —

Billboards

Door-to-door

Mailers

Interviews

Fundraisers

More than $15,000 raised in 2 weeks

Facebook traffic off the charts

3,5000 campaign cards produced and distributed

350 new signs ordered

Secretary of State notified of the write-in campaign

All town clerks in Berkshire County notified of the campaign

Hundreds of people at standouts

That’s a “campaign that doesn’t exist”? — there aren’t enough exclamation points in the type case for that assertion.

Fred, I can assure you that Paul’s write in effort is very real and I believe he’s much more qualified than Ms. Harrington. I think the thrust of this story is how Ms. Harrington threatened to scuttle Mellisa Mazzeo’s political career. I understand she made a similar call to sheriff Bowler. I hope we both agree that the DA’s office should be as non political as possible. And I know Ms. Mazzeo and she is not a liar. Thanks for responding. And I hope you join me in writing in Paul Caccaviello.

P.S. Mr. Valenti in a subsequent column outlined what was necessary for a Harrington victory.

The e-mails support a line of speculation that’s popped up on the streets recently, that The BB is secretly and actively backing Andrea Harrington for D.A. It’s a most interesting story, one that THE PLANET shall probe among those who may be in the know.

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THE PLANET wishes our good friend Fred Rutberg well in his attempts to wring a dime out of The Boring Broadsheet. He’d have better luck with The Berkshire Eagle, but the evidence shows that such a newspaper no longer exists.

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“Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving” — Neil Gaiman

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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Anyone catch the big reception for Andrea Harrington at the Hotel on North last night? The one hosted by Tyer, Farley-Bouvier, Hinds, Pignatelli, Barret etc? I’m just wondering because I don’t see any pics on social media or in the papers. I guess it was a non-event. Literally, a non-event, where you don’t show up. Just give money or lend you name in return for expected favors later. These pols have attacked our DA’s office to dismantle a highly effective group doing the work of securing justice to crime victims and the community.They lent their support to a candidate with no legal experience. That puts our cities and towns at risk for what? This is a dirty game and I want no part of it. I withdraw my support for them now and in the future.

When public safety and welfare are tossed aside for party politics, it’s long overdue to clean house. Barret has been sucking off public welfare for far too long as have the rest of them. Harrington is a disaster waiting to happen. We have to pull for Cacc!

You won’t see it anywhere because at this point Hillary Harrington has caused more than a few blunders publicly that eroded her credibility via social media.

Plus anyone who saw the actual party list will scoff next time one of her supporters refer to CACCA-VI-ELLO as part of the “insider good ol boys network”… which apparently people like John Barret, Tricia and Smitty are NOT a part of…. *slow clap*

Not to mention most of them are unapologetic socialists like Krol, LaForest, Bernard, etc,

Añy republican senator and scump who say they are for providing health coverage for pre existing conditions are nothing but out right liars. They all tried to kill the ACA but failed.Now let’s see who can dispute this. Only the insane are not aware that these buffoons tried to kill the ACA. Let’s try to stay with the facts

My nephew just graduated law school in 2017.
He’s working as an ADA in Maryland (there it’s called a States Attorney for a given county and as he’s a junior in the office he’s an assistant prosecutor). He’s been out of law school almost a year and a half. He’s been to court about 35 times, mostly OUI/DUI but has sat in as second on rape cases, domestic assault, three murder/attempted murder trials.
So as a new lawyer a year and a half out of law school, he has 5 times more legal experience that Andrea Harrington!
Could you imagine him running the office of DA? I asked him does he think he could run the office? He said “no way! There’s so much going on, so much I don’t know. I’m just at the beginning, it would take a lifetime to learn all the ins and outs.”

So I can see how Andrea Harrington who’s NEVER been a DA or prosecutor, who has less courtroom experience than a kid out of law school for just over a year, can lay claim to the office.
He’ll she doesn’t even have the legal experience a regular civil or criminal attorney has. She’s been off doing yoga and playing politician.

Art and TSC amongst others have demonstrated that those who so vehemently oppose everything Trump does or fair minded people say, Claim to be well educated. I am certain they have amassed substantial debt in that pursuit. However they have not been taught how to think or even when to think but they have been taught what to think and they are very successful at that. Sadly it is the only skillset they will ever master.

The truth means nothing to you and your ilk. Justify scumps 5200 confirmed lies. And if you don’t think that scumps rhetoric hasn’ fueled the events of the last 36 hours you are as delusional as he is. What I stand for is knowing right from wrong and truth from lies. I know the difference and considering your post I conclude that you Don’t. On Nov6th we start a new era of truth and facts. I guess you will find fault with that. Where do some of you people come from and more importantly where are you going. Were ever your going I want to be a million miles away from you.

Right from wrong and truth from lies. Your posts give you away. I’ll bet some one has to tell you when to open up an umbrella during a rain storm. I assume you are not educated. I can easily tell your not. Better to stay silent than broadcast that your a lost soul. We all know it.

“The devices were poorly made and some discovered could not have exploded, but it’s unclear if that was intentional, or if they were just badly constructed, officials said. They said some of the bombs had substantial flaws, some had subtle flaws and some have yet to be examined.”

Weather they explode or not it is a terror attack on democrats,Mary Wood needs discernment to see the hate in Trump that wants to divide a nation and get rid of the press.He says nothing about the Fox news propaganda that is not a news reporting organization.Trump was a lying ahole in the eighties.

I need not say anything about FOX news you do all day every day its about all you say. You cant see how you are and have been played by the DNC and MSNBC. that’s ok I don’t hurl insults call names and reduce my argument to t second grade skirmish on the play ground. The people you so hate and despise are everyday hard working people who piss you off because they have an equal say in our Government and you and Art think your so much better wiser and smarter than everyone your voice and vote is all that should count or be listened to. You took the opportunity to blame a party and a network for the dirty dealings of a deranged individual before you knew a single fact. You didn’t take 10 seconds to think about victims on the other side of the aisle who have been injured exposed to poison beat up etc. by those who think like you. They think like you so they can do no wrong as long as it moves the progressive agenda forward right? We know who shot at Congressmen practicing for a ball game you said nothing. We know what Holder said you said nothing No one knows who is mailing these awful bombs but you ceased the opportunity to blame the Republican party and Fox news and then claim to be the smart righteous one

TSC, While I like the attempt to redirect. Isnt it silly that you attempt to redirect the discussion to one of a high road than to openly admit that there is hate and division on both sides of the aisle. I find it sad that you are so deeply indoctrinated that you cant see the hatred from the DNC. You really think people yelling at the Cruz’s during dinner is not troubling? Being told to get in peoples faces is what? loving and inclusive? what about the former Atty Gen suggest violence? Yes Trump has done that and both are uncalled for and unacceptable. A gunman fired upon Congressional representative’s and you cant bring yourself to say that’s wrong. Stop pretending that you and your party are victims your not your duplicitous.

You should keep in mind that you ardently support a man who spent two months working with a swarm of people to prepare what ultimately turned out to be a simple letter to the editor, and the finished product included a laughably out of context quote as “evidence” in support of the bigger lie that underpinned the letter’s entire argument.

So this is the legal genius, the court-room wizard on whose shoulders the fate of Berkshire County rests? Ugh, we’re toast already.

Maybe it’s all just something in the water. Is Art Seller in the house?

It must truly bother you that Harrington and her mindless minions like yourself continually get dinged for some fantastic lie that you’ve managed to piece together. The letter to the editor occurred because THAT is what the Eagle – the secret backer of “The Chosen One” – demanded instead of a standard news article.

The bigger lie is that knuckleheads like yourself believe Harrington is qualified to be DA. We’ve already tried the experiment of putting someone with no experience in the White House. No need to do something that stupid in Berkshire County with the DA office.

Harrington’s elevation to DA needs to be voted down and the princess needs to be relegated to a job she is more qualified for. I understand Starbucks is looking for baristas.

The only person who got dinged was Caccaviello. And it was more than a ding. That ridiculous letter is a huge hit to his credibility. More importantly, it proves that he is dishonest. When he cherry-picked that quote and claimed it meant something that it clearly did not, another word for that is lying.

This is the razor-sharp, honest, ethical legal genius you admire so much? Please.

Truth. Do you think I think that Harrington is qualified? Are you out of your mind? Like I stated in the past. The Gman’s dog Bucky is more qualified to be a 747 pilot than harrington is to be the DA. Please try to stay on target and don’t try to put words in my mouth.

Cicero, how will you sleep for the rest of your life knowing you stirred up false allegations that a DA wasn’t prosecuting college rapes in your community? What will your next contribution to humanity be?

I haven’t stirred up false allegations. I and many others have cited some ugly statistics and said Caccaviello needs to answer for them before being voted into office. He has provided no real answers. Instead, he and his team spent two months putting together a ridiculous letter that raised more questions than it answered. First among them, it calls into question his integrity. Honest people don’t cherry pick quotes buried deep within a document and misrepresent what they mean.

Two of my most favorite hipsters are John Krol and Amanda Drane,future leaders here in our fine City,and what are you idiots going to do when Andrea actually gains votes in the election. Talk about egg your faces. Pittsfield voters are lazy and under educated.

There was a serious lockdown at Taconic High School this morning. These kids are scared to go to school. Asking parents to come get them. $120 million dollar school, and kids are bringing weapons. Now you need metal detectors, and Police protection.

Simply put, they are over their heads. These kids arw out of control. Punches were even thrown at the Police. Herberg is problematic as well. Harassment and assaults are happening every day in these schools. Good kids are being terrorized by these behaviors.